Dredging pump



Feb 12' 192% 1,483,143 J. G. WHITLOCK DREDGING PUMP Filed Dec. 23 1920 I l 24 m 753 I um. ll Z2 r"-1 -1 Th a); II i o J INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

PatentedFeb. 12, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES GILBERT WHITLOCK, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

DREDGING PUMP.

Application filed December 23, 1920. Serial No. 432,796.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMES G. WHITLOGK, a citizen of the United States residing at Richmond, in the county of llenrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dredging Pumps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

In the use of pumps which are required to encounter water containing a considerable quantity of sand, as in dredging, it is known that the gritty particles tend to work along the plunger and into the packing, causing the packing to wear rapidly and the bearing surfaces of the plunger and cylinder to become scored. This tendency increases with the speed of operation of the pump.

My object is to provide improved means for effectively resisting this entrance of gritty matter. I accomplish the purpose by means of a. water packing surrounding the plunger in advance of the packing and supplied with. clean water under pressure, the supply being automatically controlled by the reciprocation of the plunger.

I have illustrated conventionally a vertical sectional view of a pump with complementary parts adapted to carrying out the invention.

The pump comprises a cylinder 1 and plunger 2, the former set in a water pipeS having the usual suction and exhaust valves 4, 5. 6 indicates the piston packing held by a gland 7.

Just below the packing I have shown the cylinder formed with an internal annular channel 8. This channel forms the termi nus of a pipe 9 leading from a clean water pump 10 which is indicated as ofthe triplex type to insure a constant supply; and from the channel the water can flow, evenly all around the plunger, into the annular space below between the plunger and the wall of the vertical part of the pump cylinder or the plunger. chamber.

Within the pipe 9 is a valve 12 having an arm 13 equipped with a roller 14 at its free end. The plunger 2 carries an angular bracket 15 to engage the arm 13, thus swmging the arm and opening and closing the valve as the plunger reciprocates. The roller 14 tends to avoid friction and insure the arm moving easily in contact with the bracket.

It is immaterial whether the clean water from pump 10 be admitted to channel 8 on the upward or downward stroke of the plunger as this is merely a matter of arrangement of valve 12. As illustrated the valve 1s opened on the upward stroke, the full lines indicating the positions of the bracket and arm as the upward stroke is completed, while the dotted lines show them at the end of the downward stroke when the valve is closed.

With the main pump and clean water pump operating together a water packing under pressure is maintained in channel 8; and in the annular space between the plunger and the plunger chamber. This effectively prevents sand and other gritty matter from entering the said annular space.

When a series of main pumps is used a clean water pump 10 may supply them all through a series of branches.

7 In operation, the plunger rises and falls, drawing the sand charged water in by the valvel: and discharging it by the valve 5. At the same time clean water forced into the plunger chamber around the plunger 2 keeps the sand charged Water out of this plunger chamber, and away from the pack-' T claim as my invention:

In a pump, the combination with a plun er, of a cylinder having an internal annu ar channel formed therein, a water supply pipe leading to said channel, means for supplying water under pressure to said pipe, a, valve in said pipe, and means operated by said plunger in its reciprocation for opening and closing said valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES GILBERT VVHITLOCK.

Witnesses:

R. R. HARRISON, R. A. BICKS. 

